US5658409A - Low noise tire - Google Patents

Low noise tire Download PDF

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Publication number
US5658409A
US5658409A US08/587,572 US58757296A US5658409A US 5658409 A US5658409 A US 5658409A US 58757296 A US58757296 A US 58757296A US 5658409 A US5658409 A US 5658409A
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United States
Prior art keywords
tire
axial grooves
axial
grooves
ground
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Expired - Fee Related
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US08/587,572
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English (en)
Inventor
Kiichiro Kakumu
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Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
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Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
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Publication date
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Priority to US08/587,572 priority Critical patent/US5658409A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
    • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
    • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
    • B60C11/0318—Tread patterns irregular patterns with particular pitch sequence

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a low noise tire in which pattern noise caused by axial grooves is suppressed.
  • the main part of the automobile noise is a tire noise
  • the main part of the tire noise is pattern noise.
  • pattern noise is generated as follows.
  • the tread groove volume specifically the axial groove volume is greatly and periodically changed when contacting the ground and leaving the ground during running, which vibrates the air and therefore a pressure wave of the air is generated as noise.
  • variable pitching methods in order to lower the absolute value of the peak, several different pitches are arranged in the circumferential direction of the tire in a special manner to disturb synchronism of the noise pulses generated from the tread pattern and thereby to disperse the noise sound energy into a wide frequency range.
  • the optimum pitching is not always optimum in view of other tire performances, and often deteriorates tire performances.
  • tread elements with different pitches have different rigidities, which is liable to cause uneven tread wear whereby the tire has a short wear life, and further sometimes unfavorably affects the vibration characteristics such as RFV and RRO.
  • An object of the present invention is therefore, to provide a low noise tire in which the noise characteristics can be improved without sacrificing other tire characteristics.
  • a low noise tire has a tread provided with a tread pattern comprising axial grooves arranged at regular pitches in the circumferential direction of the tire, wherein the circumferential length of the ground contacting region of the tire when the tire is mounted on a regular rim and inflated to a normal internal pressure and then loaded with a normal load, is substantially equal to integral times the pitch.
  • a low noise tire has a tread provided with a tread pattern comprising axial grooves arranged at irregular pitches in the circumferential direction of the tire, wherein the circumferential length of the ground contacting region of the tire when the tire is mounted on a regular rim and inflated to a normal internal pressure and then loaded with a normal load, is substantially equal to integral times the mean pitch length of the above-mentioned irregular pitches.
  • the test pattern comprises two parallel, straight circumferential grooves and one axial groove (a) extending parallel to the axial direction of the tire from one of the circumferential groove (b) to the tread edge.
  • FIG. 6 shows the waveform of the sound pressure generated from the axial groove (a). From the waveform, it was found that the axial groove generates remarkable pulses P1 and P2 at the moment T1 when the groove contacts the ground and the moment T2 when the groove leaves the ground, respectively, and the pulse P1 and the pulse P2 are opposite in sound pressure. This fact may be explained by the fact that the air flows out from a groove decreased in volume when contacting the ground (T1) and on the other hand air flows into the groove increased in volume when leaving the ground (T2).
  • the pitches of the circumferentially spaced axial grooves are set in such a way that said grooves contacting the ground and leaving the ground occur at the same time so as to generate opposite pulses which cancel each other.
  • FIG. 1 is a developed plan view showing a tread pattern of one embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the tire in a ground contacting state
  • FIGS. 3a and 3b are schematic plan views, each showing another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between the ground contacting length divided by groove pitch and noise level in decibels
  • FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a tread pattern used for examination.
  • FIG. 6 is a graph showing the waveform of the measured sound pressure thereof.
  • the low noise tire 1 is a pneumatic passenger car tire.
  • the tire 1 has a tread portion T provided with four circumferentially continuously extending grooves G which divide the tread portion into a center rib R1 extending along tire equator, two intermediate ribs R2 located one on each side thereof, and two shoulder ribs R3 extending along the tread edges.
  • the circumferential grooves G are straight grooves, but zigzag grooves or wavy grooves may be used as the circumferential groove G independently or in appropriate combinations.
  • the tread portion T is further provided with circumferentially spaced axial grooves Y.
  • the axial grooves Y extend axially outwardly from the axially inner circumferential grooves G1 to the tread edges across the axially outer circumferential grooves G2, thereby dividing the intermediate ribs R2 and the shoulder ribs R3 into circumferentially separated blocks.
  • the axial grooves Y in this embodiment include the inner axial grooves Y1 extending from the inner circumferential groove G1 to the outer circumferential groove G2, and the outer axial grooves Y2 extending from the outer circumferential groove G2 to the tread edge (e) to open its outer end at the side of the tire.
  • the axial grooves Y in this embodiment are formed in a straight configuration parallel with the axial direction of the tire, that is, at the right angle to the circumferential groove, but they can be formed with an appropriate bias angle to the axial direction of the tire.
  • the axial grooves Y are arranged at regular intervals (pitches) in the circumferential direction of the tire, and the pitches are set so that the ground contacting length L of the tire under standard conditions is substantially equal to a length 1 which is the groove pitch multiplied by an integer N, wherein the above-mentioned standard condition is that the tire is mounted on a regular rim, and inflated to a normal internal pressure and loaded with a normal load.
  • the above-mentioned integer N is 3 to 6, that is, one selected from the integers 3, 4, 5 and 6.
  • N is smaller than 3, the number of formed axial grooves is insufficient to maintain the wet-grip property.
  • N is more than 6, the groove number becomes so excessive as to decrease the rigidity of the tread to and thereby deteriorate the running performance of the tire.
  • the increase in the groove number increases the number of generated pulses, and thereby increases pattern noise as a whole.
  • the above-mentioned ground contacting length L is generally defined as a circumferential length of the ground contact region of the tread portion of the tire measured on the tire equator under the above-mentioned standard condition.
  • the front and rear edges of the ground contacting region are more or less curved. Accordingly, the circumferential length between the front and rear edges at the axial position of the concerned axial grooves is preferably used as the above-mentioned ground contacting length L.
  • ground contacting length will vary under actual service conditions.
  • the above-mentioned integral-time pitch length l may have a range which is from 0.97 to 1.03 times the ground contacting length L.
  • the outer axial groove Y2 and the inner axial groove Y1 are formed at an equal pitch and in the same phase. That is, the pitches P1 of the inner axial grooves Y1 are set to be the same as the pitches P2 of the outer axial grooves Y2, and the axially adjacent inner and outer axial grooves Y1 and Y2 are aligned on a straight line.
  • FIGS. 3a and 3b each show another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the axial grooves are arranged at regular intervals (pitches).
  • the tread portion is provided with four straight circumferential grooves similarly to the foregoing embodiment, but the axial groove Y1 and Y2 are inclined with respect to the tire axial direction. Further, between the inner axial grooves Y1 and the outer axial grooves Y2, the pitch P1 and the interval time pitch length l1 are the same as the pitch P2 and the integral-time pitch length l2, but their circumferential locations differ from each other, that is, their phases are shifted.
  • the tread pattern is almost the same as that of FIG. 3a except that the pitch P1 of the inner axial grooves Y1 differs from the pitch P2 of the outer axial grooves Y2.
  • the interger N in the axially outer rib is 4, and the integer N in the axially inner rib is 3.
  • the present invention can be combined with variable pitching methods.
  • the mean value of the varied pitches or the circumference divided by the number of the axial grooves is treated as the pitch of the axial grooves.
  • the axial grooves may be arranged such that each of the axial grooves has a paired axial groove spaced apart therefrom by a distance substantially the same as the ground contacting length.
  • Each test tire was mounted on a regular rim of size 51/2JJ ⁇ 14 and inflated to a normal pressure of 2.0 kgf/cm 2 , and the circumference thereof under this condition was 1855 mm.
  • the ground contacting length L thereof under a normal load was 132.5 mm.
  • the sound pressure level of the test tire was measured.
  • the measurement was performed according to the tire noise testing method specified by JASO-C606, wherein the microphone position is laterally 1 m from the tire equator and vertically 25 cm from the ground contacting face of the tread on the immediate side of the tire.
  • the results of the measurements are shown in FIG. 4.
  • the sound pressure level was remarkably lowered in the example tires 1 and 2 according to the invention as compared with the reference tires.
  • the circumferential pitch of the axial grooves multiplied by an integer is set substantially equal to the ground contacting length of the tire. Therefore, a sound pressure wave generated from the axial groove coming to contact the ground and that generated from the axial groove being released from the ground cancel each other to reduce the pattern noise.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Tires In General (AREA)
US08/587,572 1989-06-06 1996-01-17 Low noise tire Expired - Fee Related US5658409A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/587,572 US5658409A (en) 1989-06-06 1996-01-17 Low noise tire

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1143794A JP2892042B2 (ja) 1989-06-06 1989-06-06 低騒音タイヤ
JP1-143794 1989-06-06
US53164890A 1990-06-01 1990-06-01
US98725292A 1992-12-07 1992-12-07
US25011694A 1994-05-26 1994-05-26
US08/587,572 US5658409A (en) 1989-06-06 1996-01-17 Low noise tire

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US25011694A Division 1989-06-06 1994-05-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5658409A true US5658409A (en) 1997-08-19

Family

ID=15347141

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/587,572 Expired - Fee Related US5658409A (en) 1989-06-06 1996-01-17 Low noise tire

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US5658409A (ja)
EP (1) EP0402021B1 (ja)
JP (1) JP2892042B2 (ja)
DE (1) DE69002876T2 (ja)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5974872A (en) * 1995-10-17 1999-11-02 The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. Pitch arrangement evaluation system of tread pattern of pneumatic tire
US6514366B1 (en) 2000-02-10 2003-02-04 Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, Llc Method of developing tread pattern
US20040093106A1 (en) * 2002-11-01 2004-05-13 Stuckey Jon Irvin Method for designing tire noise pitch sequence
US8617016B2 (en) 2010-06-02 2013-12-31 Dayco Ip Holdings, Llc Low noise pulley
US9327558B2 (en) 2010-01-27 2016-05-03 Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Llc Tire with noise-reducing tread pattern
US10035380B2 (en) * 2014-05-29 2018-07-31 Bridgestone Corporation Pneumatic tire

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0627680B2 (ja) * 1990-10-11 1994-04-13 株式会社ブリヂストン タイヤ騒音シミュレート方法及びシミュレータ
DE4110125A1 (de) * 1991-03-27 1992-10-01 Sp Reifen Gmbh Fahrzeugreifen
US5209793A (en) * 1991-05-15 1993-05-11 Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. Low noise pneumatic tire tread with voids balanced over each half tread region
JP3983877B2 (ja) * 1997-04-23 2007-09-26 株式会社ブリヂストン 空気入りタイヤ
JP4882605B2 (ja) * 2006-06-13 2012-02-22 トヨタ車体株式会社 車両の空調装置

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2014255A (en) * 1933-02-18 1935-09-10 Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp Tread for pneumatic tires
US4178199A (en) * 1976-04-05 1979-12-11 Uniroyal, Inc. Noise reduction in pneumatic tires
US4340103A (en) * 1978-07-10 1982-07-20 Nilsson Nils Ake Porous Tread and method of making same
US4462445A (en) * 1982-04-23 1984-07-31 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Pneumatic tire tread
US4693290A (en) * 1977-03-01 1987-09-15 The Goodyear & Rubber Company Bias ply snow tire compatible with radial ply tires
US4722378A (en) * 1986-05-19 1988-02-02 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Tire treads with convex elements
EP0268436A2 (en) * 1986-11-17 1988-05-25 Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited Low noise tyre
US4788651A (en) * 1987-02-27 1988-11-29 The Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company Method for improving tread noise by relative rotation of a rib and simulating the effect thereof
JPH01317808A (ja) * 1988-06-17 1989-12-22 Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd:The 空気入りタイヤ

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6160307A (ja) * 1984-09-03 1986-03-28 Sumitomo Rubber Ind Ltd 低騒音タイヤ
JPS6175003A (ja) * 1984-09-17 1986-04-17 Sumitomo Rubber Ind Ltd 低騒音タイヤ
JPS61115704A (ja) * 1984-11-09 1986-06-03 Sumitomo Rubber Ind Ltd 自動二輪車用タイヤ

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2014255A (en) * 1933-02-18 1935-09-10 Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp Tread for pneumatic tires
US4178199A (en) * 1976-04-05 1979-12-11 Uniroyal, Inc. Noise reduction in pneumatic tires
US4693290A (en) * 1977-03-01 1987-09-15 The Goodyear & Rubber Company Bias ply snow tire compatible with radial ply tires
US4340103A (en) * 1978-07-10 1982-07-20 Nilsson Nils Ake Porous Tread and method of making same
US4462445A (en) * 1982-04-23 1984-07-31 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Pneumatic tire tread
US4722378A (en) * 1986-05-19 1988-02-02 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Tire treads with convex elements
EP0268436A2 (en) * 1986-11-17 1988-05-25 Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited Low noise tyre
US4788651A (en) * 1987-02-27 1988-11-29 The Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company Method for improving tread noise by relative rotation of a rib and simulating the effect thereof
JPH01317808A (ja) * 1988-06-17 1989-12-22 Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd:The 空気入りタイヤ

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
M.G. Richards, "Automotive Tire Noise-A Comprehensive Study", Sound & Vibration, May 1974, pp. 42-47.
M.G. Richards, Automotive Tire Noise A Comprehensive Study , Sound & Vibration, May 1974, pp. 42 47. *

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5974872A (en) * 1995-10-17 1999-11-02 The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. Pitch arrangement evaluation system of tread pattern of pneumatic tire
US6514366B1 (en) 2000-02-10 2003-02-04 Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, Llc Method of developing tread pattern
US20040093106A1 (en) * 2002-11-01 2004-05-13 Stuckey Jon Irvin Method for designing tire noise pitch sequence
US7769567B2 (en) 2002-11-01 2010-08-03 Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Llc Method for designing tire noise pitch sequence
US20100282385A1 (en) * 2002-11-01 2010-11-11 Jon Irvin Stuckey Tire with unevenly-spaced pitch ratios
US9597928B2 (en) 2002-11-01 2017-03-21 Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Llc Tire with tread pattern having pre-selected variations in lug stiffnesses to improve tire noise
US9327558B2 (en) 2010-01-27 2016-05-03 Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Llc Tire with noise-reducing tread pattern
US9937756B2 (en) 2010-01-27 2018-04-10 Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Llc Tire with noise-reducing tread pattern
US8617016B2 (en) 2010-06-02 2013-12-31 Dayco Ip Holdings, Llc Low noise pulley
US9671007B2 (en) 2010-06-02 2017-06-06 Dayco Ip Holdings, Llc Low noise pulley
US10035380B2 (en) * 2014-05-29 2018-07-31 Bridgestone Corporation Pneumatic tire

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2892042B2 (ja) 1999-05-17
EP0402021A3 (en) 1991-05-29
EP0402021B1 (en) 1993-08-25
DE69002876D1 (de) 1993-09-30
DE69002876T2 (de) 1993-12-23
JPH0310912A (ja) 1991-01-18
EP0402021A2 (en) 1990-12-12

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